The Marine Museum at Fall River is a cultural gem and contains a wealth of Fall River Maritime History especially Steam Ship and Titanic memorabilia. Discover the art, books, models and many treasures the Marine Museum holds. This is a must see
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The Marine Museum at Fall River is a cultural gem and contains a wealth of Fall River Maritime History especially Steam Ship and Titanic memorabilia. Discover the art, books, models and many treasures the Marine Museum holds. This is a must see resource for landlubbers and mariners alike.

Carol Gafford is a public librarian, family historian, amateur archivist and book savior. She is currently the youth services/outreach librarian at the Swansea Public Library and volunteers for several museum and historical societies including the Marine Museum at Fall River, the Swansea Historical Society and the Bristol Historical and Preservation society. She is the editor of Past Times, the Massachusetts Society of Genealogists and is always looking for a new project to take on.

BOSTON — If there’s one person who’s been hurt by the Bruins’ use of four goalies this preseason, it’s Niklas Svedberg.

Svedberg opened camp in competition with newcomer Chad Johnson to be Tuukka Rask’s No. 2 goalie. It would seem the Boston management and coaching staff would want to see the 24-year-old Svedberg as much as possible to have the best evaluations.

But there have been other circumstances that have cost Svedberg the chance to get a full game in net until the sixth of seven preseason games.

After the four goalies — Johnson, Malcolm Subban, Rask, Svedberg — got 30 minutes each in the first two games, the Bruins gave Subban the crease to himself last Thursday night. Management loves to see where young players are as a measure of their progress.

“Malcolm had played really well in Montreal (in the first preseason game) and he’s a first-round pick and you wanted to see where he’s at, so we felt that (all four goalies) deserved at least a game,” Julien said.

Subban was lit up for eight goals by the Red Wings in what will serve as motivation for the 19-year-old entering his first AHL season, but have little purpose in helping the 2013-14 Boston Bruins.

Johnson got the call two nights later and shut out Detroit with 18 saves. Rask went Monday against Washington and had a quiet night.

Rask told Julien he only needs a few games to get ready for the season after the long playoff run in the spring. He’ll get one more appearance Friday night in Saskatoon.

So that brings us back to Svedberg. The reigning AHL Goalie of the Year is left with one full game to impress the coaches and management staff and make his stance that he deserves a spot on the Boston roster come Oct. 3.

Svedberg was impressive in his cameo in Baltimore against the Capitals on Sept. 17, stopping Alex Ovechkin late in overtime and making all six stops in the shootout.

“I played a half-game, (plus) the game tomorrow,” Svedberg said. “It’s not supposed to be easy, but you have to take advantage of the chances you get. That’s the way it is and you have to take the chance that you get and go with your opportunity.”

Compared to the skaters, the chance to build a body of work is imbalanced against the goalies. Forwards Reilly Smith, Nick Johnson, Matt Fraser, etc., have gotten several games each to show they belong. If Smith, for example, had been off in his first game, he still had two or three more games to make up for it.

Svedberg doesn’t have that safety net, and it doesn’t help it will have been nine days since he last played when he touches the MTS Centre ice in Winnipeg. The goalies are hurt even more in the evaluation process because it’s harder to judge their performance in practice compared to skaters.

“To be honest with you I don’t put too much value in those practices (for goalies),” Julien said. “I said it before, there’s guys that get lit up in practice but you can’t get a puck by them in the game and vice versa. So to me it’s evaluating guys in game situations. As long as he has good work ethic in practice and has a good attitude I’m good with that, but at the end of the day it’s what you do in game situations.

“So this is the opportunity — we’re going to see (Svedberg) tomorrow.”

By the looks of it, Johnson currently has the inside track to the No. 2 position to start the season. His lower salary cap hit ($600,000 to Svedberg’s $1 million) could make a difference for a up-to-the-cap Bruins, especially if they want to keep a 14th forward. Management may also want to let Svedberg marinate in Providence a bit longer.

On the flip side is Johnson’s lack of experience at the NHL level and, aside from the Detroit game, a shaky preseason. It’s left Svedberg in the conversation.

Finally, he’ll get his opportunity to become the topic of that conversation.

“At every level, you try to take a step up to the next level,” Svedberg said. “You have to earn your chances and earn your chances in the game.”